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Description

On the one hand, the area of „intercultural studies“ is determined by society’s interest to develop a cross-cultural management competency. On the other hand, under the pressure of immigration, the developed countries have a need to find a common basis of understanding or coexistence of populations coming from very different cultures. In fact, in both cases we are facing a transcultural interest in cross-cultural management, in search of prognostic knowledge. In comparison, less attention is given to the theoretical fundamentals of a specific intercultural competence, serving to a better understanding between cultures.

Concerning „European Studies“, this area is mainly the playground of political and social scientists who focus on the relation between the European Union and the national governments or societies. For both perspectives there is a considerable need for political consulting. In comparison, research about the historical background of Europe, about cultural anthropology and cultural philosophy are rarely taken in account beyond the narrow limits of the respective disciplines.

The practical interest for transcultural decision-making competence, however, tends to neglect the basic research. So, the Dortmund Center for Intercultural and European Studies will also include the analysis of historical, comparative, culture-anthropologic, jurisprudential and culture-philosophic items.

The publication organ of the Center is impEct, published since 2005; in 2016 number 8 has been edited.

Both thematic research areas of the Center practice a transversal approach to the established academic disciplines. The resulting matrix structure generates different interfaces with established academic disciplines. Of special interest will be the encounter of methodologies of natural sciences and of cultural sciences. At the moment, the researchers constituting the Center cover interfaces with political science, economics, engineering, history, languages, philosophy and jurisprudence. It is our aim to associate further academic disciplines. In the future, this cooperation should lead to special thematic issues of impEct concerning these interfaces.

Further on, we would like to intensify the cooperation of the parties by organizing common symposia and to publish valuable contributions in a separate volume.